February Fishing Report

As the regular consumers of Jimmy’s literary contributions to the Phuket News will appreciate, I believe water is the most essential element of life on earth, for without it we couldn’t go fishing.

Why do I mention this very obvious fact? Well, I’m completely cheesed off explaining to those city people who haven’t woken up to the reality of global warming yet and continue to ask me what kind of fish they can expect on a specific “holiday” date.

Folks, be advised, the world has changed, with all the wildlife including fish, trying to adapt to this man-made cockup, (which daily moves closer to a complete F.U.B. A.R. situation) as their and “our” environment continues to be sabotaged by insanity.

Animals are already avoiding the effects of warming by moving to higher altitudes and migratory species like birds and fish are now altering their traditional patterns of behavior to accommodate these changes that we, in our stupidity, have inflicted upon them.

Himalayan Griffins in Thailand and seagoing crocks and Killer Whales in Phuket waters are just a few of our local examples. Our ignorance is so profound few of us comprehend the scale of this impending disaster as we continue to pollute the atmosphere which in turn heats the oceans by melting the ice which would normally reflect the sun’s rays back into space, but now heats the melt-water by absorbing the sun’s rays along with the carbon in the Co2 emissions. This in turn kills plankton, the base of the ocean’s biggest food chain which affects everything up to and including whales, which are also targeted by our plastic waste not forgetting the nuclear radiation still spreading across the planet from the Japanese tsunami and previous nuclear disasters, all this while we continue the decimation of our planet’s lungs, The Amazon Jungle.

What kind of fishing can we expect on our holidays? From now on - don’t ask me, or someone who is meant to know - Tweet Trump, the man who sees global warming as mankind’s revenge on the iceberg that sunk the Titanic AND believes that you can reduce your carbon footprint by taking bigger steps.

Ask your elected representatives about the environment, as they pass insignificant laws to improve the nation’s health, with a great example coming from here in Phuket, as now you cannot smoke cigarettes on the beach as it’s environmentally unfriendly – yet untreated sewage still flows into Patong Bay killing coral and now to further display the hypocrisy, they propose building two new coal-fired power stations of 800mg and 2,000 megawatts. How many packets of these filthy cigarettes does that equate to, as they continue to give lip service to being environmentally friendly?

Well at least their coal burning furnaces, in years to come, will make great fall-out shelters for the tornadoes to come and here’s a few other “positive” points to be made for global warming:- “No more weeding the garden / no more plants” - “Our Golfing pals will only need a putter and a sand wedge” - “Steaks will be medium rare, on the hoof” - “Why pay for tattoos when melanoma's free?” and last but not least, “Nile Encephalitis: will not just be for Egyptians anymore.”

This month’s photo:- Neill, “another Jock”, with a good size King Mac caught mid-month from “M.V. Fish Eagle”. “Mena 1” also reported a Barracuda of 25kg, so although the fishing could only be described as “slow” there are a few big boys about. The Chalong Fishing Park also advised me that their first Mekong Cat of over 40kgs had just been landed and to celebrate Jez added another 40 to his already well-stocked venue.

Well, that’s everything off my chest for at least a month so please ponder the thought: - “If you don’t stand for something, you fall for anything.”

Tight lines

Post Script..

Not for the first time in its short history Chalong Pier has once again proven that there is something seriously wrong with the administration running this comedy of errors. Even at the best of times chaos rules as the Chinese hoards fight to get on busses around 8am and 5pm, so does this mean these lemming like carpets of humanity will now be clambering over boats in order to reach their overcrowded excursions or is the marine dept. going to build an overpass while the underpass continues to sinks under the waves. Who built, designed and maintains this million Baht a month earner and where did they get their qualifications, Lego? Would it be the same plonker who is running the now legendary “Chalong Circle Project” and who has decided, in their wisdom, to rub salt in the wounds of all those who regularly use Chalong’s premier tourist facility? Obviously, once more, someone never heard the expression: - Don't spoil the ship for a ha'pworth of tar.